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So you are using self-awareness and you find yourself stressed out at work. What do you do?!

Take a ZEN BREAK!

Recharge yourself. Stop what you are doing. Forget about work and allow yourself to just breathe. Throw on your headphones and link to some extremely relaxing meditation music here.

When you are stressed out, you won’t think straight or being efficient anyway. Your mind and body are hijacked by your amygdala and by coritsol and in this state the thinking part of your brain is shut off. You can’t digest your food properly and blood flow is going out to your muscles to help you run away from the proverbial tiger.

Stopping to take a “Zen Break”, even for 5 minutes, can build resilience and help you refocus your energy. Your creative juices will flow and you may find solutions when you thought there were none.

That’s right, a very interesting study by Judson Brewer and Colleagues out of Yale published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science in 2011 evaluated whole brain activity and showed that the way people think in about 50% of our waking life is different than the way people that meditate think.

This habitual “mode” of thinking is called the Default Mode Network. You could also equate this to “mind-wandering” or the habitual thinking patterns that many of us have. This is basically the way you think when you are on “auto-pilot” and not completely involved in the activity at hand. Incidentally, these thinking patterns are also associated with unhappiness. They tend to be negative thoughts with you existing as the sun at the center of the universe. This type of thinking is often focused on anxieties and ruminations about the past, or the future. Habitual thinking…just thinking about it makes me want to scarf down some chocolate to make myself feel better!

On the other hand, people who meditate have a different Default Mode Network. Their brains fire differently even in every day life. They tend to be more focused on the present moment and are less self-referential, instead understanding that they are a part of a greater whole. And yes, less of the “mind-wandering” is actually associated with happiness and less negative thinking. In addition to personal motivation positive thinking is one of the most predictive factors predicting success related to changing behaviors.

So happiness is the silver lining related to changing this habitual thinking. If you want to change what tends to be an impulsive, or compulsive, out of control behavior, like emotional eating, loafing, shopping too much, or even if you just want to stop that anxiety provoking negative thinking, you might want to try meditating first. Even 5-10 minutes a day is a great start o break the patterns of habitual thinking. The benefits continue beyond the time you meditate.

This is a great fair for expectant families to learn about all the resources available to support you. I will be presenting on a panel about recent ACOG guidelines to prevent unnecessary cesarean section. Here is a letter from the organizers about the event:

It’s a pleasure to announce that registration for the 2014 DC Birth and Babies Fair sponsored by the Midwives of Medstar is now open! You can register with the Early Bird rates here. Remember, the Fair is Saturday May 3rd from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital near Eastern Market.

Early Bird admission for one adult is $10 and for two is $15. Children are free. The goody bag alone is worth way more than the price of admission, not to mention the value of the 23 programs, 40+ exhibitors and the 20+ fantastic raffle prizes. So don’t wait to secure your spot, sign up today.

The Fair is a “must-do” introduction for first-timers and a valuable chance to advance your skills and knowledge as a veteran. There’s no other opportunity to meet and learn from so many birth and baby professionals under one roof. Whether it’s new skills for parenting or looking ahead for your next baby, with so many classes and exhibitors even the most seasoned parent will have something to gain.

There’s also a comfy Children’s Play Area (thanks to Urban Sitter) for you and your little one to take a break. Light snacks will be available and don’t forgot to bring a little cash for your chance to win in the fantastic raffle featuring free photo sessions, baby carriers, massage and more!

What better way to prepare for Mother’s Day the next week than by spending the afternoon at the Birth Fair educating, empowering and connecting yourself to be the happiest, healthiest and most confident parents you can be!

Register for the Fair today by clicking here and make sure your friends know about it too. Meet as a group for brunch in Eastern Market and then you can all come together. You’ll need to split up and compare notes to take advantage of so many classes and exhibitors in one space.

We owe a great thanks to Midwives of Medstar, Tiny Touch Photography and Advantage Rehabilitation & Wellness Center for helping make this special event possible for the families of DC.